Labor Surplus Areas FY 2015

The Department of Labor (DOL) issues the labor surplus area list on a fiscal year basis. The list becomes effective each October 1 and remains in effect
through the following September 30. The reference period used in preparing the current list was January 2012 through December 2013. The national
average unemployment rate (including Puerto Rico) during this period was rounded to 7.77 percent. Twenty percent higher than the national unemployment
rate is rounded to 9.32 percent. This is the first time since 2011 that the qualifying LSA rate is below the ceiling unemployment rate (10%). Areas included
on the FY 2015 annual Labor Surplus Area list are all counties, county equivalents, balance of county (where the entire county did not make the LSA list),
and cities with a population greater than 25,000 with an average unemployment rate of 9.32 percent or above during the previous two calendar years.
The FY 2015 labor surplus area list can be accessed at: http://www.doleta.gov/programs/lsa.cfm